Fire extinguishing apparatus



July 10, 1934. D. MAPES FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 29, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 10, 1934. D. MAFES FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 29, 1929 I "7% 5 2 5:: E; f

v [JVVENTOR m, L h

Patented July 10, 1934 FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS Daniel Mapes, Mamaroneck, N. Y., assignor to Walter Kiddo & Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 29, 1929, Serial No. 335,808

8 Claims.

In some industrial installations it is desirable that the action of certain devices be delayed somewhat after the operation of the initiating device. Thus, in the use of carbon dioxide for the extinguishing of fire, in which the space in which the fire originates is to be flooded with a large volume of carbon dioxide derived, for example, from a bank of containers, it is desirable that the release of the gas from the bank of con- 10 tainers should be delayed briefly after the oper-' ation of a warning signal in order that the occupants of the space, warned of the impending release of the gas, may escape from the space before the space is flooded with the gas to a suffocating degree. Such warning signal may consist of the release of the gas from one or two containers in advance of the release of gas from a main bank of containers, and in this connection it will be understood that the discharge of carbon dioxide stored under high pressure, as is the common practice in this art, is always accompanied by a roaring noise which is' distinctly audible at distances of from fifty to one-hundred feet 7 or more from the point of discharge, depending zlupon the conditions under which the discharge takes place, and such discharge itself serves as a warning signal or indication to occupants of the space in which it takes place. The object of this invention is to provide means by which,

in such an application of the invention as that referred to, the release of the gas from the main bank of containers may be delayed automatically, while at the same time it shall be possible to effeet the release of the gas from the main bank of containers either by other automatically operating devices or manually. The invention has been developed with reference to .the particular use mentioned and will be described with reference to such use, although it will be understood 4;) that the invention is capable of use forother purposes. In the embodiment of the invention chosen for explanation of the invention the release of the gas from one or two warning containersinitiates, indirectly, the release of the gas from the main bank of containers through mechanical devices to be described and including a retarder or delayed action device by the operation of which the release of the gas from the main bank of containers is delayed for such period of time, perhaps thirty seconds, as may be desirable.

The invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings in which it is illustrated and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation and somewhat diagrammatic showing a main bank of carbon dioxide containers from which the gas is to be released associated with initially acting or warning containers and with the delayed action mechanism, the housing of which is shown.

Figure 2 is a view on a larger scale, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, showing the delayed action mechanism with the cover broken away and the upper ends of the two containers associated therewith.

Figure 3 is a top view of the parts shown in 5 Figure 2 with the housing in section.

Figure 4 is a view of the delayed action device in elevation as seen from the right hand in Figure 2, with the housing in section.

Figures 5 and 6 are detail views, partly in sec- 7 tion, of portions of the delayed action device.

In Figure 1 of the drawings there are shown five containers at from which the carbon dioxide is to be delivered in volume to flood the space protected. 'Each container is shown as having at its Letters Patent of the United States No.

1,187,135, and No. 1,757,563, and shown in part at a in Figure 2. For the purposes of the present case it is sufficient to say that the release hook or lever a with which the cable a is normally engaged, is retained in holding position until released by the release of a detent shown at a in Figure 2. When this deteiit a is released the lever a is released so that it may swing on its pivot under the influence of the tension of the cable a and disengage the cable, thereby allowing the weights at to open the valves or closures a of the containers a and permit the discharge of the gas in volume. The valves or closures b of other containers 1), which may be called the warning containers, are initially 'operated or opened by weights b" and arms b through the release of a cable b by an automatic release, which may be of any suitable construction, such as that shown, for example in United States Letters Patent No. 1,269,556, and for the purposes of the present case sufficiently shown as having a, retaining lever b normally retained in holding position, as shown in Figure 2, and engaged by the cable 12', which slips from the lever when the lever is released, as though the operation of a thermostatic device. .The release of the gas from 1 10 the containers 2) may give to the occupants of the space protected a warning that within a limited time the space will be flooded with sufiocating gas. In the embodiment of the invention shown the operation of the detent a", of the release device a by which'the cable 13 isreleased, is brought about by the release of thecable b but through a retarding or delayed action device which may be constructed as shown particularly in Figures 2, 3, 4" and 5. In this construction the detent a is actuated to eiTect the release of the lever a by a lever c pivoted at c and engaged loosely by a time rod (2 which passes freely through the other arm of the lever c and has above the arm a nut d to engage the arm in the descent of the rod and so trip the detent a and a nut d below the lever c to reset the lever upon the ascent of the rod. At its lower end the rod 12, in the construction shown, is connected to a weight d as a releasable force producing meansfiwhich rests normally on a sylphon or collapsible metal bellows e which may contain in alterable volume air or other fluid or liquid which, when the rod (1 is released and the weight descends, is forced out slowly through a fluid vent, so that the nut d of the rod (1 does not make operative contact with the lever until at the end of a period of delay. In the construction shown in Figures 2 and 6 the fluid content of the sylphon is permitted to escape through a tube e which has a very small bore and may be replaced by a tube of a diiferent bore for the purpose of regulating the escape of the fluid. Regulation may also be accomplished by adjustment of the nuts al As shown, the tube e is held in position in the bottom plate e of the sylphon by packing at e and a packing nut e Because of the small bore of the tube e care must be taken to prevent the clogging of the tube. In the construction shown there is provided a cap e preferably of clear glass to permit inspection and secured to the base or bottom plate e by a flanged nut e". Within the cap e, which is vented as at e is placed a metal strainer e which is entered by the lower end of the tube e Strainer cotton is placed within the cap, as at e", to protect the tube against the possible entrance of foreign matter, even during the expansion of the sylphon when the weight d is raised. The rod 11 is supported in its elevated position by a collar d which rests upon one end of a lever f pivoted at 1 The other end of the lever ,f is pressed upon normally, to hold the rod in its elevated position, by a spring extension g of a lever 9 pivoted at y. The other end of the lever g bears upon the cross bar h of a yoke 71. .the upper end of which rests upon the lever b while the lower end has the cable 12 connected to it. When the parts are in their normal positions, as shown in Figure 2, the lever g is sup-? ported, at its right hand end, from the release lever 12 by the yoke h and bears with a yielding pressure, at its lefthand end, upon the right hand end of the lever f, thereby holding the rod d in its elevated position. When the yoke h and cable b are released by the release lever 'b the valves 12 of the containers b are opened by the weights b and gas is permitted :to escape from the containers, thus indicating that the fire extinguishing medium is about to be released in large volume so that the occupants of the space protected may escape before it is flooded with gas to a sufiocating degree. At the same time and through the operation of the common releas-- ing means, thelever g is released and in turn 75 the lever f permits the rod (1 and weight (I to descend slowly and at a rate which is determined by the escape of the fluid content from the retarding or delayed action device. When the weight b has descended for the prescribed period of timethe nut 12 on the rod d makes operative contact with the lever c and thereby the detent a is released and the lever a is permitted to yield to the tension of the cable a which then is disengaged from the lever a and permits the valves of the main bank of containers to be opened by their operating device, such as the weights a and the gas to be discharged therefrom in volume. The escape of the fluid content of the retarding device is regulated so as to permit such a period of time to elapse between the operation of the release I) and the operation of the release a as will enable the occupants of the space protected to escape therefrom after being warned by the escaping gas from the containers b.

At i is shown a cable which is operatively connected at one end to the release a as shown in the Patent No. 1,757,563, above mentioned, and may be connected at the other end to a manual or other device so that, in case of need, the cable a may be released from a remote point without the preliminary release of the gas from the containers b.

I claim as my invention:

1. A delayed action mechanism for releasing from a container a fire extinguishing medium under pressure comprising a means for initiating action, a force-producing means normally restrained from operation, devices whereby the force-producing means is released for operation by the first mentioned means, indicating means set in operation upon the initiation of action to indicate that the fire extinguishing medium is about to be released, means normally restraining the release of the fire extinguishing medium, a fluid chamber alterable in volume by the action of the force producing means and having a restricted flow-retarding fluid vent, and in operative relation with. the force-producing means whereby the volume of the'chamber is altered 120 by the movement of the force-producing means as opposed by the flow of fluid through the flowretarding vent, and means operated by the forceproducing means when released and upon a predetermined altering of the volume of the chamber to actuate said restraining means to release the flre extinguishing medium.

2. A relayed action mechanism for releasing a fire extinguishing medium under pressure comprising a means for initiating action, a weight, retaining means holding the weight normally from descent, a fluid chamber alterable in volume in operative relation with the weight and having a fluid vent, indicating means set in operation upon the initiation of action to indicate that the fire extinguishing medium is about to be released, means normally restraining the release of the fire extinguishing medium, and means operated by the descent of the weight when released to operate said restraining means to release the flre extinguishing medium.

3. The combination with a container for a flre extinguishing medium under pressure and a valve normally preventing the release of the flre extinguishing medium from the container, of a fluid 145 chamber alterable in volume and having a restricted flow-retarding fluid vent, a weight for cooperation with the fluid chamber, means to hold the'weight normally from descent, means to release the weight the weight being supported 5.

upon the fluid chamber when released and its descent retarded by the flow of fluid through the flowretarding-vent, and means actuated by the descent of the weight and upon a predetermined flow of fluid through the vent to cause the valve of the container to open.

4. The combination with a container for a fire extinguishing medium under pressure and a valve normally preventing the release of the fire extinguishing medium from the container, of means for initiating action, a fluid chamber alterable in volume and having a restricted flow-retarding fluid vent, a weight for cooperation with the fluid chamber, means acting normally to hold the weight from descent and actuated by said initiating means to release the weight the weight being supported upon the fluid chamber when released and its descent retarded by the flow of fluid through the flow-retarding-vent, means actuated by the descent of the weight and upon a predetermined flow of fluid through the vent to cause the valve of the container to open, a second container for a fire extinguishing medium under pressure, a valve normally preventing release of the fire extinguishing medium from the second container, and means the operation of which is for the container, a closure opener tending to predetermined fluid flow through the vent to release the restraining means, a releasable support for the weight, and means to disengage said support and release the weight.

6. A container having a closure and a delayed action mechanism for releasing a flre extinguishing medium retained under pressure in the container, comprising a closure for the container,

' a closure opener tending when released to open the closure, a fluid chamberwith a constricted flow-retarding vent, a weight tending to alter the volume of said chamber the weight being supported upon the fluid chamber when released and its descent retarded thereby, means to restrain the closure opener, means actuated by the weight when released and upon a predetermined flow of fluid through the vent to release the restraining means, a warning indicator, and means actuated therewith to release the weight.

'7. A container having a closure and a delayed.

action mechanism for releasing a fire extinguishing medium retained under pressure, comprising a first container, a second container, closures for the containers respectively, closure openers for the closures respectively, means to release the medium from the second container as a warning indicator, a fluid chamber with a constricted flow-retarding vent, a weight tending to alter the volume of said chamber the weight being supported upon the fluid chamber when released and its descent retarded thereby, a releasable support for said weight, means actuated by the weight at a predetermined point in its descent to efiect the operation of the opener of the first container, and means actuated at the same time as the opener of the second container to eflect the release of the weight.

8. A container having a closure and a delayed action mechanism for releasing a fire extinguishing medium retained under pressure in a container, comprising a closure for the container, a closure opener tending when released to open the closure, a fluid chamber with a constricted flowretarding vent, a source of power in cooperative relation with said chamber, means to restrain the source of power, a warning indicator, means 

